>>1923955I like that pattern a lot. Is it hung upside down? When you remove the existing handle to install the new one measure the top and bottom of the eye. The bottom of the eye will be slightly smaller than the top.
>>1923956You definitely can, but that one is pretty severe, so I would focus on not just filling the gap at the top of the eye, but carving the wedge to fill the dead space inside the eye as well. While gaps at the top or bottom can lead to the head wiggling loose, gaps inside the eye will lead to the handle eventually checking/cracking along the grain. This is the wedge for the axe in the OP. I reused a vintage handle that was pretty beat up, and had gaps on both sides of the eye that went down into the eye itself. You can also see where step wedges were installed in the past. If you take care to carve your (I suggest using softwood) wedge to fit and leave it slightly oversized, it will fill all of the dead space when hammered home. The reason I suggest softwood is that it will compress more easily and fill your dead space without cracking the handle. Just add boiled linseed oil before and after so it will continue swelling as it cures and will act as a lubricant as you hammer in the wedge.
